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Emigrants - US

Written by Claude Lanners

Wednesday, 02 March 2011 21:00

United States of America

Introduction

The emigration movement towards the United States that developed around the middle of the 19th century and that gained momentum during the last quarter is reflected also in the Lanners family. As it can be seen in the table below, 38 emigrants were found of whom 3731 descendants have been identified by early 2011.

Historians think that some 70.000 people left Luxembourg, about one third of the population, most of them towards America. The reasons that induced people to leave were multiple (push factors):

Difficult living conditions after the turmoil of the French Revolution, in a minuscule country, politically independent but economically not viable

Crop failures

Bigger families as a consequence of lower infantile mortality

On farms, only one child, generally the eldest son, could take over; the younger children had only limited possibilities to make their living

Wars and political unrest in Europe.

In this difficult context the United States offered an attractive alternative (pull factors):

Availability of land at favorable conditions if not even free in certain locations and at certain periods

From 1860 to 1900, with a peak in the 80ies, to Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Western Iowa: Algona, Gibertville, Remsen.

Cover of the 1985 reedition of Nicholas Gonner’s reference work “Die Luxemburger in der Neuen Welt” (German edition).Pictured is a facsimile of a postcard the emigration agency used to send to the family announcing the arrival of the ship, here the Finland April 11 in New York.

In order to keep the contact between immigrants and to help those being in need, associations like the Luxembourg Brotherhood were created. The LBA is still active in some areas.

Another link between the Luxembourg immigrants was the “Luxemburger Gazette”, a newspaper edited in Dubuque by Nicholas Gonner and published from 1871 to 1918. It is a most helpful resource to find information on Luxembourgers and has a number of entries of Luxembourg Lanners. A source still to be tapped, thanks to Jean Ensch and Jean-Claude Muller who indexed the name and location entries and made them thus available on 680 pages in Volume 2 of their reedition of Nicholas Gonner’s “Luxembourgers in the New World”

The LANNERS emigrants

The (incomplete) list of passengers who entered the United States via the port of New York between 1820 and 1957 mentions about 140 LANNERS, of which 14 declared to be of British citizenship, 15 Belgian, 37 German and none Luxembourg.

Part of the 32 Luxembourg LANNERS emigrants may be found under the German label, a nationality they often declared to the immigration authorities. Working on the emigration to the US has uncovered the so far unknown presence of the name LANNERS in England. The 1901 census in England shows 26 bearers of the name and marriages with LANNERS partners are documented up to the present. LANNERS from England are found on the immigration lists into the United States and we must assume that among the LANNERS living today in the US there are also descendants of these English immigrants. The site Worldnames offers an overview on the geographic spread of the name.

Whereas New York was the main entrance gate to the United States, most Luxembourgers left the old continent from Antwerp. This seaport was the closest to Luxembourg and the main Luxembourg emigration agency, Derulle-Wigreux, had as partner the “Red Star Line” which operated the Antwerp-New York route.

The preferred destination was Chicago, but the trace of LANNERS immigrants is often lost in this big city. We can assume that the Chicago people were rather craftsmen or plain laborers, with at least one exception however: The Pierre Lanners (10.) family operated greenhouses in Skokie, an area and a trade numerous Luxembourgers were active in. Many LANNERS settled in the rural Midwest states, especially in Iowa and Minnesota, which is consistent with their farmer origin.

Most of the emigrants were single and travelled alone, although some groups of a village or family members could be detected. 5 entire families emigrated.

The departure was generally for good, but some returns are documented, be it for visits with the family or to accompany siblings to America.

In 2011, WhitePages lists 447 people with the last name “Lanners”, mainly in Minnesota and Illinois.

List of emigrants:

Name

Date, place of birth

Number of emigrants

Emigration date

Destination

Known descendants

Total: 38

3731

1

Lanners Michel

11.06.1814, Eschdorf

8

1856-1858

Minnesota

405

2

Lanners Jean « Pierre »

07.07.1825, Niederfeulen

1

~1850

+ boat

0

3

Lanners Marie

06.05.1827, Welscheid

9

1870

Remsen, IA

11

4

Lanners Charles

30.11.1829, Welscheid

4

1855

Wisconsin

95

5

Lanners Guillaume

11.12.1829, Hoscheid

1

~1858

Pennsylvania

7

6

Lanners Jean

30.05.1833, Berlé

9

~1870

Iowa

2089

7

Lanners Nicolas

09.10.1840, Niederfeulen

1

?

Detroit, MI

2

8

Lanners Elisabeth

08.08.1845, Eschdorf

See 10.

~1890

Chicago, IL

-

9

Lanners Henri

27.07.1846, Gralingen

1

bef. 1870

Minnesota

4

10

Lanners Pierre

16.09.1849, Eschdorf

5

~1893

Chicago, IL

9

11

Lanners Nicolas

24.10.1854, Erpeldange

1

1882

?

0

12

Lanners Anne

25.01.1860, Eschdorf

1

1891

Chicago, IL

0

13

Lanners Anne

10.08.1860, Nachtmanderscheid

1

1881

?

0

14

Lanners Jean

24.08.1864, Berlé

1

~1888

Iowa

13

15

Lanners Théodore

15.04.1868, Hoscheid

1

1895

Chicago, IL

0

16

Lanners François

27.04.1868, Binsfeld

1

1891

Indiana

0

17

Lanners Pierre

24.08.1868, Eschdorf

1

1891

Chicago, IL

0

18

Lanners Jean Baptiste

04.12.1870, Eschdorf

1

1891

Chicago, IL

0

19

Lanners Pierre

14.01.1871, Hoscheid

3

1910

Cromwell, IA

1

20

Lanners Nicolas

06.08.1871, Eschdorf

1

1890

Chicago, IL

0

21

Lanners Henri

14.10.1874, Eschdorf

1

1891

Chicago, IL

0

22

Lanners Pierre

14.11.1876, Eschdorf

See 10.

~1893

Chicago, IL

0

23

Lanners Joseph

26.05.1879, Eschdorf

See 10.

~1893

Chicago, IL

0

24

Lanners Pierre

18.04.1882, Eschdorf

See 10.

~1893

Chicago, IL

0

25

Lanners Michel

31.01.1883, Ettelbruck

1

1903

Chicago, IL

20

26

Lanners Catherine

14.03.1887, Ettelbruck

2

1911

Livermore, IA

86

27

Lanners François

28.07.1889, Bonnal, Insenborn

1

bef. 1913

Chicago, IL

139

28

Lanners Jean Baptiste

09.10.1889, Ettelbruck

1

1910

Chicago, IL

0

29

Lanners Catherine

24.02.1893, Hoscheid

1

1912

?

0

30

Lanners Alphonse

13.04.1907, Esch-sur-Alzette

1

?

Chicago, IL

0

31

Lanners Nicolas

02.08.1908, Esch-sur-Alzette

1

1926

Chicago, IL

1

32

Lanners Jean Pierre

20.05.1926, Bourscheid

1

~1950

Chicago, IL

2

33

Lanners Heinrich

01.03.1833, Kruchten, D

1

1861

Warrensburg, MO

6

34

Lanners Johann

30.11.1860, Leimbach, D

1

~1880

St. Leo, MN

370

35

Lanners Catharina

06.01.1863, Leimbach, D

1

~1890

New York, NY

2

36

Lanners Leonard

08.06.1866, Leimbach, D

1

1882

St. Leo, MN

353

37

Lanners Nikolaus

26.06.1869, Leimbach, D

1

~1890

St. Leo, MN

116

38

Lanners Ludwig

08.09.1893, Basse-Yutz, F

1

?

New Jersey

0

Michel “Michael” Lanners was born 11.6.1814 in Eschdorf and married in 1843 Marie Froetz, born also in Eschdorf 6.2.1820. 6 children were born in Eschdorf, and the family emigrated probably in 1857-58, some time after the birth of Suzanne 8.11.1856, as they are not listed any more in the end 1858 census. The last trace in Luxembourg is the December 1855 census sheet:

Person 8 on the census list is Elisabeth Lanners, 1 year. The problem with her is that Michel and Marie did have a child Pierre 23.1.1855 who is said to be 2 years old in the census and there is no time left for another child till December 1855. Who was this Elisabeth who obviously did not accompany the family to the US? The only possibility found is Elisabeth Lanners, daughter of the non-wed Elisabeth Lanners, a first cousin of Michel also from Eschdorf.

The family settled in Washington County, East of St. Paul where a 7th child, Anna was born 15.7.1859. Michel was a daylabourer according to the census, but he had obviously some resources to finance the journey to the US for his family of 8. How desperate Michel and Marie must have been about their condition and prospect to undergo this adventure with 6 children from 1 to 13 years. We must not forget that there was no railroad yet in Luxembourg and that crossing the ocean on a sail ship was long and bare of all comfort. We know of 405 descendants of Michael and Marie who passed away around 1876 and 1883 in St. Paul, MN.

The 8 children of Michel and Marie are:

Barbara Weber

Suzanne “Susan” Lanners born 22.9.1843 at Eschdorf. She married John Classen and they have 35 known descendants.

Catherine “Kate” Lanners born 5.3.1846 at Eschdorf. She married Hubert Kerst and 19 descendants are known.

Nicholas Lanners born 30.9.1850 at Eschdorf. He married Ellen Shea and 11 descendants are known.

Marie “Mary” Lanners born 8.3.1853 at Eschdorf. In 1873 she married Jean “John Bernard” Weber from Gilsdorf in Luxembourg. They have 167 descendants listed in the author’s database, among them

Barbara Ann Weber from Dellwood, MN who contributed this branch of the family.

Charles Paul “Chuck” Lanners born 1948 living in Hastings, MN. His wife Darlene Winberg is the family historian and brought in quite a bit of information.

Jay Thomas Lanners born in 1961 living in Georgia.

Suzanne Lanners born 8.11.1856 at Eschdorf. She is the last child born in Luxembourg and is not mentioned after the family had emigrated. As no death record is found in Luxembourg, we have to admit that she died during the passage or after the arrival in the US.

Anna Lanners born 15.7.1859 in Washington County, MN. She married Bernard Specker and we know 46 descendants.

Mike Lanners born January 1865 in Minnesota. He married Lillian “Lillie” Losch, also of Luxembourg parents. They had 9 children whose descendants have not yet been researched.

Jean “Pierre” Lanners was born 7.7.1825 at Niederfeulen. The eldest son of a tailor, he learned this profession and is listed in the 1847 census as being in France for training reasons. In 1852 he is mentioned for the last time in a census. According to family information, he emigrated and died on board a ship.

Marie Lanners was born 6.5.1827 at Welscheid. She married in 1847 at Bourscheid Michel Wiebersch and the couple had 9 children in Welscheid. In 1870 the family emigrated to the US with probably the 7 living children and settled at Remsen, IA, where many Luxembourgers found a new home. She died there in 1905 as we can read in the “Luxemburger Gazette”. We have no information about descendants of the children who definitely existed.

Charles Lanners was born 30.11.1829 at Welscheid. He married 1852 in Lintgen Anne Marie Husting. 1 living child was born 1854 in Lintgen and the family emigrated to the US in April 1855 from Le Havre. They lived according to the 1870 census in Fonds du Lac, WI where Charles is listed as innkeeper. The children of Charles and Anne Marie are:

Photo: Kellermann Family site

Charles Lanners born 27.5.1854 in Lintgen.

Pauline Lanners born 28.4.1856 in Theresa, Dodge County, WI. She married George Krebs and 40 descendants are known.

Genevieve Phoebe Lanners born 18.4.1858 in Theresa. She married 1874 in Fond du Lac George P. Dana. They have 45 descendants among them Dana Francis “Frank” Kellermann who has created a most interesting family site on the Web.

Marie Julia Lanners born 17.5.1869 in Theresa, WI. She married Emil E. Walters.

Mary Estelle “Stella”Lanners born 21.4.1862 in Theresa. She married Robert E. Muenchow.

Matilda Lanners born 10.1.1865 died 1866.

Guillaume “William” Lanners was born 11.12.1829 in Hoscheid. In the 1852 and 1855 censuses he is mentioned as mason, single. In 1858 and later he is not present. In the 1880 US Federal Census a William Lanners born about 1831 in Luxembourg, stone mason, is listed in Tyrone, Blair, PA. Although there is no hard proof, we can assume that this is Guillaume Lanners from Hoscheid. He was married with a Catharine and had 5 children born 1865 to 1877.

Between December 1872 and April 1873 John and Anna Maria emigrated with their 7 living children. The emigration time can be narrowed down to this 4 month period as a son Henri died 22.11.1872 in Tarchamps and a next child, Anny, was born 17.4.1873 in Dubuque, IA. The family farmed for some years in Iowa before moving around 1895 to Hartford, SD, where Anna Maria died in 1899 and John in 1916.

The couple had 11 children who lived to adulthood and they had by 1997 the impressive number of 2089 descendants.

Their children were:

Mathias “Matthew” Lanners born 10.4.1859 in Tarchamps. He married Mary Madden and the couple farmed in Remsen, IA. They have 267 known descendants. Among them is Frank P. Lanners who was killed in WWII on the North African front 12.7.1943, the first casuality in the Remsen area and the only American member of the Lanners family victim of the war.

Elisabeth “Lizzie” Lanners born 26.5.1860 in Tarchamps. She married John Gehler and 158 descendants are known.

Martin Lanners born 21.10.1861 in Tarchamps. He married Katie Madden who died shortly after a daughter was born. He then married Catherine Heidesch whose roots were in the neighbouring town of Baschleiden. Martin farmed in Hartford, SD where he died in 1905. From his 2 marriages 283 descendants are known.

Michael Lanners born 2.5.1863 in Tarchamps. In 1896 he married Mary Welbes from Putscheid, Luxembourg in Bridgewater, SD where 5 children were born. The couple has 469 known descendants.

Among them is Michael Henry Lanners who was born in 1944 in Mitchell, SD. He married Norma Jean Murphy and the couple lives in Santa Ana, CA. Mike worked as a police sergeant for the Santa Ana police and retired in 1993.

Mike contacted Michel Lanners *1968 in December 1997 and there was a mail exchange. In August 2007 Michel rediscovered the correspondence while cleaning up his computer and transmitted it to Claude Lanners. Claude contacted Mike and could confirm that there was indeed a relationship. Mike had done extensive research on the US Lanners family descending of Jean “John” Lanners. Thanks to Mike's most valuable work, Claude could extend his database by 2065 descendants of John Lanners and Anne Marie Graff, which is about 60% of the US Lanners known.

Henry J. Lanners born 23.4.1865 in Tarchamps married 1894 Mary M. Kunkel and the family farmed in Le Mars, IA. They have 245 descendants, among them Bill Lanners from Minot, SD and Larry Lanners from Janesville, WI.

Maggie Lanners born 30.5.1867 in Tarchamps. She married John Kleinschnitz and the couple farmed in the Remsen, IA area. 18 descendants are known.

Mary Lanners born 5.2.1869 in Tarchamps. She married in 1893 at Remsen John Burggraff, also from Tarchamps. Although John was a blacksmith by trade, the family settled on a farm at Hartford, SD. They have 62 known descendants.

Henri Lanners born 1.4.1871 in Tarchamps died at the age of 6 months

Anny Lanners born 17.4.1873 in Dubuque, IA was the first child of the family born in the New World. She married in 1891 in Remsen Peter Theisen, also of Luxembourg origin, and they farmed all their life in the Remsen area where 8 children were born. 44 descendants are known.

Lena Lanners born 14.10.1876 in Zwingle, IA in the Dubuque area. She married 1900 in Hartford, SD, Nicolas Spielmann from Kuborn, Luxembourg. They farmed in Hartford and had 4 children. 291 descendants are known.

Lucy L. Lanners born 3.8.1879 in Zwingle, IA. She married in 1902 Peter Spielmann from Kuborn and 9 children were born until May 1915 on their farm in Hartford, SD. In November of the same year a tragedy struck the family as Peter was killed falling from his cart when the horses ran away.

Lucy then married Mike Kaiser and they had 3 children. A total of 188 descendants of Lucy Lanners are known.

John Lanners born 4.8.1879 in Dubuque, IA. John married Mary Heiter and they farmed in Emery, SD where 8 children were born. 65 descendants have been found by Mike.

Nicolas Lanners was born 9.10.1840 in Niederfeulen to Peter Lanners and Barbara Schartz. The youngest son of a tailor family, he became also a tailor like his brothers. In the 1858 census he is listed at home, but he is no longer present in 1861. According to information passed on in the author’s family, he emigrated to the US where he died and had 2 daughters who didn’t marry. Nicolas’ trace could be found in the “Luxemburger Gazette” in 1881 in Detroit when the Luxembourg tailor community in Detroit was praised and again in 1888 when his tragic death by suicide on June 9 was epically reported. (ANL JXM 459 Lux.Gazette 19.6.1888 5, 1-2)

Elisabeth Lanners was born 8.8.1845 in Eschdorf and is the spouse of Pierre Lanners sub 10.

Henri Lanners was born 27.7.1846 in Gralingen. He is supposed to be the Henry Lanners mentioned in the 1880 census in Stillwater, Washington County, MN (34 years, born in Germany). He is a clerk and lives with his wife Maggie and 3 children: Nathan 10, Anne 9, and Harry 3.

Pierre Lanners was born 16.9.1849 in Eschdorf. He was a linen weaver and married Elisabeth Lanners (8.) in 1870 in Heiderscheid. The couple had 7 children from 1871 to 1885 of whom 5 survived. The sons Nicolas (20.) and Henry (21.) emigrated in 1890-91 and the parents with the children Pierre *1876, Joseph *1879 and Pierre *1882 followed around 1893. They settled in Niles Center, now Skokie, a suburb of Chicago, and operated greenhouses.

Nicolas Lanners was born 24.10.1854 in Erpeldange near Ettelbruck. He is supposed to have emigrated in 1882 (#1092 in Hatz). No trace was found in the US.

Anne Lanners was born 25.1.1860 in Eschdorf. She is supposed to be the Anne Lanners 30 years from Eschdorf heading for Chicago who was on board of the “Waesland”, departing Antwerp 11.4.1891 and arriving in New York 23.4. No later trace of her was found in the US.

Anne Lanners was born 16.8.1860 in Nachtmanderscheid. She is supposed to be the #6016 Lanners Anne 1 pers. F 1881 in Hatz

Jean “John” Lanners was born 24.8.1864 in Berlé, commune of Winseler. He emigrated about 1888 and married 1893 in LeMars, IA Mary Dominik from Fennange, Bettembourg, L. John was a cigar manufacturer and served also as an alderman. He died in 1933 and 13 descendants are known.

Theodore Lanners was born 15.4.1868 in Hoscheid. He emigrated in 1895, but returned to Luxembourg in 1929 and married in 1932 Susanna Kress. While in Chicago, he was active in the Luxembourg community as we see him a charter member of Section 3 Chicago of the Luxembourg Brotherhood of America 9.5.1897. (Witry, LBA, p.53)

François Lanners was born 27.4.1868 in Binsfeld, Weiswampach. He emigrated in 1891 and lived in Hammond, IN. In 1894 he fell off a train while travelling to Chicago and had an arm and a leg amputated. (ANL JXM 462 Luxemburger Gazette 25.12.1894 5, 3-4)

Pierre Lanners was born 24.8.1868 in Eschdorf. He was the brother of Anne (12.). He travelled in February 1891 on the “Pennland” to the US heading for Chicago. No later news from him.

Jean Baptiste Lanners was born 4.12.1870 in Eschdorf. He emigrated together with his brother Pierre (17.). His later life is not documented.

Pierre Lanners was born 14.1.1871 in Hoscheid. He emigrated to France and married 1894 in Paris Marguerite Godart from Wormeldange, L. A son Pierre Marcel was born in Wormeldange 22.4.1895. In 1910 the family emigrated to the United States as we find them arriving in Ellis Island 12.3. with destination Cromwell, IA. Whereas he entered the US as a coachmen, Pierre settled in Cromwell as farmer. His son Pierre Marcel will also be farmer in Cromwell.

Nicolas Lanners was born 6.8.1871 in Eschdorf. He is the son of Pierre and Elisabeth Lanners (10.) and emigrated in February 1890 direction Chicago. He was a carpenter at that time and can be located in 1917 in Niles Center (Skokie), IL where his parents lived.

Henri Lanners was born 14.10.1874 in Eschdorf, another son of Pierre and Elisabeth Lanners (10.). He left Europe 11.4.1891 direction Chicago. In May 1892 a search message was posted in the “Luxemburger Gazette” by his father who had meanwhile arrived also in the US. In 1917 he lives in Wisconsin.

Pierre Lanners was born 14.11.1876 in Eschdorf and is the 3rd son of Pierre and Elisabeth Lanners (10.). He emigrated with the parents and lives in 1917 in Niles Center where he signs his WWI registration card “Pier”.

Joseph Lanners was born 26.5.1879 in Eschdorf, the 4th son of Pierre and Elisabeth Lanners (10.). He lived with his family in Niles Center and helped in the family greenhouse operation. Joseph died 3.6.1910 when he was hit by a train while walking back home alongside the railway track. (ANL JXM 468 Luxemburger Gazette 14.6.1910 10,1)

Pierre Lanners was born 18.4.1882 Eschdorf is the 5th son of Pierre and Elisabeth Lanners (10.). He is mentioned as living in Niles Center in the obit of his father in 1917. Peter 1876, Joseph 1879 and Peter A. 1882 were members of the Luxembourg Brotherhood of America, section 15, Skokie. (Witry, LBA App. 5-5)

Michael Lanners and Margaret RauschPhoto Mike Lanners

Michel Lanners was born 31.1.1883 in Ettelbruck. He enters Ellis Island 13.7.1903 on the “Finland” and declared to go to uncle Nic. Felter in Chicago.

He married Margaret Rausch and the couple lived in Chicago. They have 20 known descendants, among them Mike Lanners from Lombard, IL who contributed this part of the family.

Catherine Lanners was born 14.3.1887 in Ettelbruck and was a sister of Michel Lanners (25.). She married in 1911 in Ettelbruck Adolph Fisch from Oberfeulen. Adolphe Fisch had emigrated in 1905 destination St. Joseph, IA and came back to marry Catherine. The couple left for America and settled in Sexton, IA, 8 miles West of Algona. They had 4 children and 86 descendants are known, among them Cathy Dinesen-Besch who lives in Kansas City.

François “Frank” Lanners was born 28.7.1889 in Bonnal, Insenborn. We don’t know exactly when he emigrated, but he married in 1913 in Chicago Katharine Miller. 8 children were born from 1915 to 1931 in Chicago, in South Dakota and in Clearwater County in Northern Minnesota where part of the family is still living. 139 descendants are known, among them:

Suzi Lanners from Shevlin, MN

Lisa Eischens-Lanners from Detroit Lakes, MN

Cassie Gillson-Morey from St. Anthony, MN.

Jean Baptiste Lanners was born 9.10.1889 in Ettelbruck. He is a brother of Michel (25.) and Catherine (26.). He entered Ellis Island 30.3.1909 and again 23.8.1910, giving each time as profession farmer and as destination his brother Michel in Chicago. It is not clear whether he stayed in the US: at his second entry his nane is marked with a stamp “non immigrant alien”. During WWI he is in Augusta, MT: Farmer, single, he signs an army registration card 5.6.1917.

Catherine Lanners was born 24.2.1893 in Hoscheid. We assume that she is the “Catherina Lanners, Hochscheid, Germany, 19, single” who arrives 15.4.1912 in New York. No other trace of her was found to date.

Alphonse Lanners was born 13.4.1907 in Esch-sur-Alzette. According to an information by his niece Suzette Klein *1923, he died in Chicago 16.5.1965.

Nicolas Lanners was born 2.8.1908 in Esch-sur-Alzette and was a brother of Alphonse Lanners (30.). He married Emma Miller and they have a daughter Florence who lives in Texas. Nicolas served as policeman and died in Chicago in 1972. In 1943, he was a member of the Schobermesse Committee in the City on Lake Michigan.

Jean Pierre “Jemp” Lanners was born 20.5.1926 in Bourscheid. While the Germans forced the Luxembourgers born 1920-1926 into the German army, Jemp escaped the war as his enrolment was postponed because he was a carpenter apprentice. Around 1950 he emigrated to the US and made his living in Chicago, as a carpenter-joiner. Jemp was a member of the Schobermesse Committee in 1956 (Witry, LBA p.71). He married Evelyne Kintzler and they have 2 sons. Jemp came back regularly to Luxembourg to see his family. He passed away 25.12.2009 in Morton Grove, Chicago.

The following 4 families are “indirect” emigrants from Luxembourg. They lived in the Eifel area of Germany, up to 1815 a part of Luxembourg, and their grandfather Johannes/Nikolaus Lanners was born 1784 in Consthum, Luxembourg. He married in 1814 Barbara Fischbach in Leimbach, Neuerburg, in that year still, together with Luxembourg, part of the French “Département des Forêts”-Forest Department. The more than 800 descendants of these emigrants are a substantial part of the US Lanners community.

Heinrich “Henry” Lanners was born 1.3.1833 in Kruchten, Neuerburg, Germany. He married in 1858 in Neuerburg Maria Elisabeth Remy from Insenborn in Luxembourg. A first child Anna Maria “Mary” was born in Kruchten. The family emigrated around 1861 and settled first in Illinois and later in Warrensburg, MO. In the 1880 census Henry is listed as miner and farmer and 3 more children are present: John b. 1862, Peter b. 1865 and Henry b. 1873.

Johann “John” Lanners was born 30.11.1860 in Leimbach, Neuerburg in the Eifel area close to Luxembourg in Germany. He emigrated in the early 1880s and married in 1886 Katherine Unzen in the Omro Township in Yellow Medicine CO., MN. The family farmed in the St. Leo area and had 12 children. 370 descendants are known.

Catharina “Kate” Lanners was born 6.1.1863 in Leimbach. She married in New York and did not have children.

Harry and Lorraine at Harry’s 80th birthday Feb. 2010

Leonard Lanners was born 8.6.1868 in Leimbach. He emigrated in 1882 and settled also in St. Leo in Western Minnesota, following no doubt his elder brother Johann. In 1892 he married Katharina Roles from Alsdorf, a town of the Bitburg region South of Leimbach. They had 8 children, and 353 descendants have been identified by their granddaughter Lorraine Lanners and her husband Harry Hofmeister from New Ulm, MN. Harry and Lorraine researched over many years the history of the Leimbach Lanners in the US and in Germany and published the result of their patient work in a book: “Family Trees LANNERS-ROLES”, January 2008. Thanks Harry and Lorraine.

Nikolaus “Nick” Lanners was born 26.6.1869 in Leimbach. He emigrated in the late 1880s and came to his brothers in St. Leo who paid for his passage as the family history tells. Nick married Elizabeth Winkers in 1893 and the couple had 14 children. A total of 116 descendants are known.

Ludwig “Jacob” Lanners was born 8.9.1893 in Basse-Yutz, Moselle, F-57970, (between 1871 and 1918 part of Germany). He is a member of the Lanners line that lived in Kruchten, D. Jacob was the inventor of a pressure corkscrew and died in August 1970 in New Jersey. He was married and had children, but no further information has been found. (Laurent Wians, Luxembourg)